All work and no play makes everyone a dull boy. Recognizing this, the California-based National Institute for Play focuses on shining light on the importance of the practice of play in everyday life. BeWell@Stanford recently spoke with its founder and president, Stuart Brown, MD, who here talks about play’s role in human function:
Play is a survival drive that is necessary for adaptation, flexibility and social learning. Play helps us belong in the community, develop the ability to suppress unwanted urges, and regulate our emotions.
He goes on to talk about play's importance for adults in particular:
Most people tend to think that play is confined primarily to childhood, and my sense of the paleo-anthropological design of being human is that we are neotenist creatures. We are designed to be juveniles until we die and that is part of our primate design as Homo sapiens. When we honor that design, we tend to be less violent, more communal and healthier.
Taking time off to play does not mean you shirk your responsibilities, or that you aren’t a good parent or a good productive citizen. In fact, it’s just the opposite: your level of agitation drops when you get playful, which tends to increase perseverance and mastery. Play has a real payoff.
Brown also speaks about the importance of play in childhood development, and how we can learn about play's impact on behavioral patterns from other animals such as social rats. Lastly, he provides advice as to how to reconnect with the childlike fun of play and incorporate it into adult life.
The piece is an intriguing conversation that might make readers slow down, think about their life, and remember that fun isn't just for kids.
Alex Giacomini is an English literature major at UC Berkeley and a writing and social media intern in the medical school's Office of Communication and Public Affairs.
Previously: Workaholics vs work engagement: The difference is play, Exercise and relaxation techniques may help ease social anxiety, study finds and Exercise may boost heart failure patients’ mental and physical health
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